Business & Real Estate

Ellie Van Houtte/Town Crier Owner Jeff Hampton opened Red Berry Coffee Bar last week after 18 months of renovation at its home on 145 Main St. The bar specializes in offering customers fair-trade coffee for espresso drinks.

For Jeff and Lisa Hampton, more than 18 months of anticipation finally came to an end last week.

The couple opened the doors to Red Berry Coffee Bar March 5 at the former home of Andiamo Salon at 145 Main St. The coffee bar’s debut comes after the couple – originally profiled in the June 2012 issue of the Town Crier – endured contractor problems and other delays as they worked to complete the 1,500-square-foot business. Lisa noted that she and her husband are pleased to know that those obstacles are now a thing of the past.

“It has been a long road. It’s been one of those things where everything that could go wrong did,” said Lisa, adding that she’s anxious to introduce Red Berry’s offerings to customers, including fair-trade coffee from the likes of Verve Coffee Roasters (Santa Cruz) and Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters (Redwood City).

“We’re just really excited,” she added later. “Jeff is just so happy to be back working on his espresso machine again.”

The Hamptons’ establishment – which they first opened in downtown San Jose in 2009 before opting to relocate to Los Altos nearly two years ago – is still in some ways a work in progress.

Jeff said Red Berry is currently offering a limited menu of espressos and other coffee drinks, as well as scones and croissants from local bakeries. In the next few weeks, however, the coffee bar plans to offer breakfast and lunch fare, including gluten-free options, homemade pastries and soft-serve ice cream.

The couple recently hired a culinary consultant to help refine the coffee bar’s final menu – a step Jeff conceded that he’s anxious to begin. Above all, Jeff added that he’s simply looking forward to introducing local residents to his selection of high-quality coffees, which he plans to rotate to keep the drink menu fresh and exciting.

“I’m happy with the response we’ve had so far and I just love this community,” he said. “It’s a place where people are really cognizant of small mom-and-pop shops. They seem to appreciate them, and we enjoy having them come around.”

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